Steelcase's landmark pyramid building being donated to mystery nonprofit for educational hub

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Steelcase is donating its massive, multimillion-dollar pyramid-shaped former research facility to a nonprofit for use as a STEM-focused education hub that would cater to students in preschool through graduate school, according to officials.

“We are really excited to see the building take on a different life,” said Laura VanSlyke, spokesperson for Steelcase Inc., about the proposed hub that aims to graduate more students knowledgeable in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) - and produce more STEM qualified teachers.

“We think it will bring value to the state.”

But while the concept is appealing to many, a number of questions remain unanswered about the group spearheading the initiative, its operations, and the educational institutions that could occupy the seven-story, 664,000-square-foot building located at 6100 East Paris Ave. SE.

Chief among them:

• Who are all the individuals/businesses behind the Pyramid P20 STEM Education Hub, the nonprofit foundation charged with setting the vision and managing the facility?

• How will traditional schools, charters, and higher education institutions work collaboratively together on the site?

“It is an awful lot of money to spend on a concept,” said state Rep. Brandon Dillon, D-Grand Rapids, who added the project is shrouded in secrecy. “I would be very disappointed if this passed without a real understanding of the project detail, where the money is going and what’s it for.”

But Sen. Mark Jansen, R-Gaines Township, said he pursued the funding because he thinks it is a “rare opportunity for the state to become a global leader for STEM education and teaching.” He defended the proposal for funding to develop the project against Senate Democrats, who have suggested possible political motivations for the proposed expenditure.

“STEM is where everyone says Michigan’s focus should be,” said the term-limited Jansen, who said bolstering STEM education would be good for the economy. “I think it is a wise decision that can help the whole state. This is cutting-edge, creative thinking.”

Businessman Jerry Zandstra, president of Inno-Versity, a Lowell-based firm that produces manufacturing training films, and one of the founders of iCademy, a new K-12 public online charter school, is the only publicly identified partner in the project. He said he and his partners have been working on the project for several months and have met with businesses.

"The state is in desperate need of STEM-certified students and students with a STEM background," he said. “The program will focus on STEM plus art education and our vision is not to have unrelated schools in a building, but for it to be truly a hub with the integration of STEM education at all levels and at all ranges.”

“The educational partners we bring on will be creative, innovative and collaborate, working as a team.”

In the next few weeks, he said he will introduce the foundation's board and advisory board and release more information about the project.

“I’m always interested in ways to make education more innovative. While I’m still learning about the specifics of the proposal, I will continue to put the needs of Michigan’s kids first,” said state Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons, R-Alto, who chairs the House Education Committee.

Zandstra insists this is not a charter school initiative. He said the idea is to recruit traditional public schools and charters, such as Zeeland's Innocademy, from across the state to operate STEM-focused programs on the site, as well as colleges. He said there could also be some type of tech center arrangement, where students would come for a few hours.

Questions have been raised about duplication. Both the Kent and Ottawa ISDs have tech centers.

For example, KISD has STEM programming in mechatronics, information technology and health sciences and works closely with Grand Rapids Community College and area universities.

But Zandstra sees the facility as being on another level in terms what it can offer students and does not think it's a duplication. He said he has been in conversations with retired school leaders about the initiative, but not current districts.

“We are going to be looking around at a number of models of STEM and art education,” he said. “We want to learn as much as we can about how to integrate STEM education at the various levels, plus art, in a world-class way.”

He said funding will go toward hiring experts, curriculum development, equipment and costs associated with bringing the program to fruition.

During a tour of the facility, Tuesday, Feb. 25, Zandstra pointed out what floors students would occupy, the administrative offices, electrical, chemical and other lab areas, as well as space for such things a robotics. From the fifth floor, he pointed out where a gymnasium, soccer and baseball fields and dorms would be located.

The P20 project doesn’t immediately stand out in the mid-year spending bill that includes things such as $100 million to road agencies across the state and an additional $114 million for the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Zandstra plans to give lawmakers a tour of the facility and discuss the vision Friday.

He said his group has talked with a dozen public universities and colleges about being on campus but wasn't ready to say who.

Grand Rapids Community College has not been contacted yet. Grand Valley State University was briefed on the concept.

"At this time, we are fully focused on our downtown initiatives. We have a new L. William Seidman Center that houses our business college, and we just purchased land near our Center for Health Sciences with the intention of expanding our health campus to accommodate students seeking degrees in the health professions and nursing," according to GVSU .

Dillon said the project sounds like an intriguing idea, but no private sector company would give $5.5 million without knowing the specifics of the project and all the individuals involved. He said he doesn’t have a problem with competition with area schools but is concerned about a duplication of services.

In 2009, Steelcase announced it would be moving its workforce from its landmark pyramid building to its 44th Street site and putting the triangular building on the market.The building opened in 1989 at a cost of $111 million, and had been on the market for $19.5 million. Steelcase declined to say what it considers the current value of the property.

According to county property tax records, the building site has an approximate value of $16.3 million and is 167 acres.

The company is known for its support of multiple education initiatives, and is one of the businesses backing the University Preparatory Academy, a Grand Rapids schools public-private partnership.

Zandstra said the P20 project will be phased in over five years beginning in 2015.

"We want to make a contribution to the evolving nature of education," he said.